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We have been in Yaoundé just over two months now. We live in a studio apartment on the ground floor of the building shown on the left. Our daily walk to the school takes us on a dirt path, through a prayer garden, and past the Prayer Chapel. We have had orientations to our new jobs and are managing them now – at times with training wheels on! But God is good, and He is giving us wisdom and strength for each day. As we considered how and what to share in this letter, we thought about how God uses all of us to do so many different things. And we thought of Esther, and Mordecai’s exhortation to her in Esther 4:14. He was pointing out that God had placed her in the king’s house not just to relax but to take a stand. We all have gifts and abilities that God can use regardless of our age or situation. And when God shows you an opportunity, know that He gave you the skills, personality, or gifting for His service and it might just be for that exact opportunity. So here we are in Cameroon again, striving to use the abilities He has given us for His glory. We are seeing how God’s timing is so perfect! Craig has the job of Finance Manager for Rain Forest International School (RFIS), but he is also the hostel building manager and is now coordinating the renovation of that building. God gave Craig some experience in renovations when we flipped houses in Canada. So, numbers and construction – not the most common pairing but perfect for such a time as this. Maureen is the Cameroon Field Director (FD) and is using her administrative skills, but she has also been using her skills as a registered nurse in the FD job. She arranged for the medical evacuation of one of our NAB missionaries, and her RN background was a great help in that process. Cal Hohn, the former FD, had just handed over the position to Maureen, and he said in all his years he had never been involved with a medical evacuation. Again, for such a time. . . .
It has been great to see old friends. One friend, Genesis, came to our apartment, where we shared cold drinks, roasted groundnuts (peanuts), stories, and lots of laughs. It was exciting to hear about how the football (soccer) outreach he started with young men in the community has been the main source of the growth of their church. Genesis told us, “We can’t just wait for people to come to us. We have to go to them.”
We are happy to see old missionary friends as well. NAB missionary Kristi TenClay just arrived back in Cameroon. She is a teacher at RFIS and is our neighbor. Other missionaries around us are familiar too from when we served as hostel parents in the 2015–16 school year. However, many are going back to their home countries this summer or next year as they are retiring or moving on to the next place God is calling them. In other words, there will be plenty of opportunities at RFIS where you could join us and be part of the team that is serving missionaries, expatriates, and nationals while providing quality, Christ-centered education in an environment that will empower students for global engagement. There are spots on the team for middle school and high school teachers, librarians, guidance counsellors, and IT support and networking. Check out the school website, www.rfis.org, or email us with your questions.
Thank you all for your partnering with us here in Cameroon through your prayers and financial support. It is both challenging and rewarding to be here – especially in mango season! (Maureen really loves mangoes!)
Craig & Maureen Moody
mojomoody@gmail.com